The ramblings of a pilgrim through time, space, and life.

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Dad’s internment

I am happy to report that Dad got out of the hospital yesterday. He is headed to Plain City for a few days of rest and relaxation at Grandpa’s home. I think it will be a good time for them. I wonder who Dad will go and visit, or who will come and visit him? It will be interesting to see. I hope to hear about it.He had his gallbladder out. But this is not your normal operation. He has cirrhosis of the liver from his younger and wilder days. I am sure that being able to boast of drinking a fifth of whiskey straight is not so high on the impressive scale. His body certainly did not think so. Perhaps it would have been more impressive if his body would have dealt with the issue and never developed any issues. The alcoholism of younger years has caused him diabetes and cirrhosis. Who knows what else.Anyhow, the cirrhosis was first diagnosed about 10 years ago. We knew then he had lost about 20% of his liver capacity. He is now about 80%. After a whole mess of tests it has been determined that his gall bladder problems compounded and possibly sped up the problem with the liver. So they wanted it out immediately.

Next, the body when it deals with cirrhosis tried to find more ways of connecting blood supply to better functioning parts of the liver. Therefore, the body produced a whole mess of veins around the liver and other organs nearby. The existance of these blood passages compounded what is normally an easy surgery. So it took a couple of specialists going in to navigate and do the surgery right.

In addition, Dad has always had a very low blood platelet count. So, if injury does happen, he doesn’t coagulate properly. With all those blood veins, and then if they hit one or something, or worse, several, he could have literally bled to death. So it was a bit of a precarious situation.

He sneaked into a church in Salt Lake on Sunday and had a blessing from a Bishop Huntsman. I don’t know much of the content, but apparently it was powerful.

The operation went very, very well. He was out of the ICU after only being in there a day. He was sent home a day after that. We are very pleased. He meets with the transplant clinic on Tuesday to discuss what the future may hold and what the needs are. I will be looking forward to hearing back on that.

Many people die before they get an organ. Hopefully Dad will be fortunate. So far it seems he will probably need one in the next year or he is going to be in trouble. If one doesn’t come up, someone will have to donate them half of their liver or he will die. That is a strange position to be put in. Thinking that in a year if nothing happens, would I be willing to give up a portion of my liver? Would other siblings offer the same? Perhaps if we all gave 1/9th of our liver, he could have a whole one! Too bad it doesn’t work that way. I don’t care much for doctors and surgery. But then the fact that I would deal with them voluntarily for someone else, yikes, that is scary. To give up a portion of one of my perfectly good, operating organs for someone it may not do any good for. That is even more difficult.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it”

I suppose we will cross that bridge when we get there. But hey, why not, I have plenty to spare.